Battle of Fate

The air was heavy with tension as Jude, Kazimir, and Zephyr stood atop the ruined city, the remains of an old fortress looming behind them. The scent of dust and steel filled their lungs, and the distant torches of the approaching Fatebound Knights flickered against the night sky.

"We take the fight to them," Kazimir had said. "No more running."

And now, standing in the face of an overwhelming force, Jude clenched his fists. His body was tense, his heartbeat steady but aggressive. He had spent his entire life avoiding fate, running from it, refusing to let it decide who he was. But tonight, he wasn't running.

Soren and Kieran stood at the forefront of the Fatebound Order's strike team, their figures illuminated by the torches of nearly a hundred knights behind them. Their presence was enough to command fear, but it was the man standing between them that made Jude uneasy.

A new figure, clad in black and crimson robes, his presence eerie and unnatural. His hair was a silver-white, his piercing red eyes carrying a disturbing, hollow amusement. There was something different about him. He wasn't just powerful, he felt... wrong.

Kazimir narrowed his eyes. "Another one of us."

The silver-haired man smirked. "So you noticed," he mused, his voice smooth, almost playful. "Name's Lucian. But you can call me your downfall."

A Wild Card. Another fatebreaker, but different from them. Jude could feel it. His mere presence warped the air around them, like destiny itself recoiled from him.

Kieran's expression was unreadable. "He's not just any Wild Card," he said, voice low. "He's something else."

Lucian let out a small chuckle, tilting his head. "I'd say it's an honor, but the truth is, I'm just here to enjoy myself. Watching fate unravel is fun."

Before another word could be spoken, Kazimir's cards flared with energy, and Zephyr's green blade shimmered under the moonlight.

Soren raised his sword. Kieran cracked his knuckles.

And then, all at once, the battle exploded.

The Fatebound Knights surged forward like a tidal wave, their blades drawn, shields raised.

Jude, Kazimir, and Zephyr didn't wait.

They launched forward, taking the fight directly into the enemy's ranks, their defiance burning against the tides of fate itself.

Kazimir flicked his wrist, and his deck exploded into motion.

His cards danced around him, each one charged with razor-sharp energy. A knight lunged at him with a spear, Kazimir sidestepped, flicking a single card forward. It curved midair, slicing through the knight's shoulder plate like paper.

Another knight swung a halberd. Kazimir snapped his fingers, and three cards shot outward in an arc, two striking the knight's knees, sending him collapsing, and the third embedding into his chest with a crackling burst of energy.

Kazimir wasn't just playing defense.

With a sweeping motion, he hurled a full hand of cards upward. They split into dozens, raining down like spectral blades. Knights dove aside as they impaled into the stone, leaving behind glowing trails.

Another Fatebound Knight charged him, a brute wielding twin axes.

Kazimir's smirk widened. "Let's gamble."

He raised a single card between two fingers. A royal flush insignia shimmered across it. The moment the knight swung, Kazimir threw it forward.

The card detonated in pure kinetic force. The shockwave blasted the captain backward, sending his axes flying. Kazimir followed up immediately, flipping another card into the air, it vanished, reappearing in his hand as a long rapier of solid energy.

He slashed.

The knight's armor split apart from the strike, and the force sent him crashing into a pile of rubble.

Zephyr was a blur, weaving between enemies with speed that made him nearly untouchable.

A knight came at him with a longsword, Zephyr dodged mid-strike, twisting his body at an impossible angle. Before the knight could recover, Zephyr's green blade ignited, humming with wind energy.

With a single upward swing, the knight was sent airborne, his armor crushed inward from the sheer force.

Another knight attempted to flank him from behind, Zephyr sensed it instantly.

Without looking, he flipped his sword into a reverse grip and stabbed backward.

The tip of his blade punctured through armor. The knight gasped before Zephyr ripped his weapon free, spinning to deflect an incoming spear strike.

The wind around Zephyr howled, responding to his presence.

He dashed forward, his blade flickering in a flurry of rapid strikes—each one cutting before the enemy even registered the movement.

In seconds, five Fatebound Knights collapsed around him.

Then, he sensed it.

A real threat.

Captain Soren descended on Zephyr like a hammer.

His massive broadsword came down in a devastating arc, the sheer force splitting the ground beneath it. Zephyr dodged by a hair's breadth, but the wind from the attack nearly knocked him off balance.

Soren was fast for his size. His blade swung again, Zephyr barely managed to parry, but the impact sent a numbing pain through his arms.

Soren exhaled, his grip tightening. "I've seen your speed," he muttered. "I just have to be faster."

Zephyr scoffed. "Good luck with that."

Then Soren disappeared.

Zephyr's instincts screamed.

Before he could react, a shockwave of force hit him from behind. His vision blurred as he was sent flying through a ruined pillar, crashing into the dirt.

Soren stood where he had been, his blade crackling with unseen power.

He had matched Zephyr's speed for a single moment.

Zephyr coughed, wiping blood from his lips.

"This just got fun."

Jude, meanwhile, was facing an entire squad of knights alone.

His knife gleamed as he dodged, countered, and struck with pinpoint precision.

A knight swung a glaive, Jude sidestepped, grabbing the weapon's shaft mid-swing and yanking the knight forward. He drove his knee into the enemy's face, shattering the helmet.

Another came at him. Jude ducked, spinning into a low sweep. The knight hit the ground hard. Jude didn't hesitate, he flipped his knife into a reverse grip and stabbed downward.

Then came Lucian.

A slow, almost amused clap echoed through the battlefield.

Jude turned, Lucian was walking toward him, untouched by the chaos around them.

His silver-white hair gleamed under the moon, and his crimson eyes glowed faintly.

"I gotta say," Lucian mused. "You're fun to watch."

Jude didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, knife flashing.

Lucian didn't move.

The moment Jude's blade should've connected, it… didn't.

Lucian was suddenly a step to the left. Then behind him. Then to the right.

Jude skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing. "Teleportation?"

Lucian grinned. "Not quite."

He lunged, but his attack came from the wrong direction.

Jude barely managed to block as Lucian's **fist struck his ribs—**except Lucian wasn't facing him.

His body was ahead, but his attack came from the side.

Jude winced, staggering. The hell was that?

Lucian gave a half-shrug. "Let's just say… the way I move doesn't always match where I am."

Jude wiped his lip. ''Annoying.''

Lucian smirked. "Come on. Let's have some fun."

And far in the distance, another figure watched.

Nyx.

The teleporting Evil Card.

She wasn't interfering. Not yet.

But when she did, the battle would shift again.

Zephyr was on the move, dodging every strike that Soren sent his way. The wind around Zephyr had become a visible blur, making it impossible for any attack to land.

Soren's broad sword cleaved through the air like a storm. Each swing was heavy, cutting through the ground and sending gusts of wind in all directions. Zephyr darted around him, his green blade flashing as he struck from unpredictable angles.

Zephyr's speed was his greatest advantage, but Soren was no slouch.

Soren swung again, Zephyr tried to dodge to the right, but this time, the captain's sword met him with surprising force, knocking Zephyr into a stone pillar.

"Look. You're fast, I'll give you that," Soren said, his voice low but filled with admiration. "But speed alone won't win this fight."

Zephyr's breath was heavy, but his smirk was unshaken. "You're about to find out that you're wrong."

Soren's eyes gleamed. He was fast too. He dashed forward, his blade humming as it sliced through the air.

Zephyr barely managed to block, the clash of their weapons sending shockwaves through the street. Wind energy exploded from the impact, tearing the surroundings apart.

The blades locked as they engaged in a series of rapid clashes—Soren's brute force against Zephyr's agility. The ground cracked beneath their feet, and debris flew in all directions.

Zephyr's speed was overwhelming, but Soren's power was overwhelming in its own way. Every time he swung, Zephyr had to dodge, and every time he blocked, the force nearly shattered his defenses.

Soren growled as his blade whipped forward again, landing a strike that sent Zephyr flying.

Zephyr flipped backward, landing on his feet just as Soren advanced once more. This time, the attack was different. A wave of kinetic energy shot toward Zephyr from the blade.

Zephyr was caught off guard for a split second. The force blasted him into an abandoned building, causing the walls to crumble around him.

Soren followed, slamming through the building's exterior with a single swipe, creating a massive hole in the structure. The building began to shudder, and cracks appeared in the foundation.

Inside, Zephyr rolled and regained his balance, shaking off the impact. His breathing was labored, but his eyes were alight with determination.

"You're tough. I'll give you that." Zephyr grinned, his fingers flexing.

Soren's response was a simple smile. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The fight escalated inside the building. Soren charged with force, his sword cutting through beams and concrete. Zephyr weaved around him, cutting through the air with his blade, carving pieces out of the building with each strike.

A huge gust of wind erupted from Zephyr as he spun, sending huge chunks of debris toward Soren. The captain slashed through them, cutting the rubble in half with ease.

An explosion of energy rang through the building as Zephyr summoned a wind vortex, spinning at high speeds and sending Soren crashing into a support beam.

But Soren was already moving. He rolled out of the way, quickly righting himself, before launching an overhead strike that nearly crushed Zephyr.

The two fighters continued to exchange blows—sword clashing against wind—until the building around them started to crumble under the force of their attacks. The roof collapsed, and the entire structure began to fall apart.

As the building shattered, both Zephyr and Soren stood amidst the wreckage, their bodies battered but unbroken. They had destroyed the battlefield, leaving nothing but ruins around them.

Kazimir vs. Kieran: Round Three

Far from the wreckage of Zephyr's battle, Kazimir was surrounded by the remnants of Fatebound Knights. The battlefield was littered with the fallen, their bodies sprawled across the city streets. Kazimir's eyes flicked to the horizon, and there, standing amidst the carnage, was Kieran.

Kieran's eyes narrowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The two men locked eyes. There was no need for words; the tension between them was palpable.

Kieran's voice broke the silence. "Round three?"

Kazimir smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You really want to do this again?"

Kieran grinned. "I do."

The air between them thickened, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble. Neither man moved, but their stares were enough to speak volumes. The next fight was inevitable.

Kazimir tilted his head slightly. "You're a glutton."

Kieran chuckled. "I enjoy a challenge."

They stepped forward at the same time, their steps in perfect sync, like two predators closing in on their prey. Their eyes never left each other's.

Jude was out of breath. His clothes were torn, his body battered from the endless waves of attacks from Lucian.

Lucian stood before him, looking almost bored. "You're still here?"

Jude gritted his teeth. "You're not making it easy."

Lucian's crimson eyes gleamed. "I don't make anything easy, kid. But you've learned something, haven't you?"

Jude's grip tightened on his knife. "Yeah, I've learned that you're full of tricks."

Lucian smirked. "You're close."

In a flash, Lucian moved. He didn't teleport, not in the traditional sense. He shifted, his body breaking into afterimages that scattered across the battlefield. Jude slashed where he thought Lucian would be, but he only sliced air. Lucian's laugh echoed.

"You're too predictable."

Jude's eyes narrowed. He could feel it now, Lucian was playing a game, testing him, toying with his every move.

Lucian shifted again, this time appearing behind Jude, a blade already outstretched to strike.

Jude reacted, slashing downward, but Lucian dodged at the last moment, his movements fluid and unnaturally fast.

"Can't hit me, can you?" Lucian teased, twisting his blade into an intricate, almost hypnotic series of slashes.

But Jude wasn't backing down.

He felt it shift inside him, a surge of power, his Fate Manipulation kicking in. The environment seemed to twist. Jude focused, using his fate-altering abilities to change the very fabric of reality around him.

He created false openings, making it appear as though Lucian was about to attack.

Lucian lunged, but instead of striking Jude, he found his blades slicing through debris as Jude vanished and reappeared several meters away.

An explosion of energy shattered the ground as their clash continued, the city quaking under the impact.

Lucian grinned. "That's more like it."

The two fighters went on, each grappling with their abilities. Jude using his wild unpredictability and fate-manipulating powers, and Lucian using his trickery to make every move feel like a false lead.

The battle raged on, both men pushing their limits, their clothes becoming ragged as fate and tricks collided in one explosive fight after another.